All Products
Search

This Product

    Elastic Compute Service:Server migration

    Document Center

    Elastic Compute Service:Server migration

    Last Updated:Jun 12, 2026

    Alibaba Cloud provides multiple ways to migrate your servers, whether you are migrating to the cloud for the first time or migrating workloads within the cloud. You can migrate on-premises physical machines, migrate cloud servers from providers such as Tencent Cloud, or move ECS instances between different Alibaba Cloud accounts. Choose the migration method that best fits your business scenario.

    Note

    Some migration methods in this topic use Server Migration Center (SMC). SMC is a migration platform provided by Alibaba Cloud that offers accessible, consistent, and efficient migration services. For more information, see What is Server Migration Center?

    Migrate to the cloud

    Migrate on-premises servers

    You can migrate your on-premises physical machines and virtual machines (VMs) to Alibaba Cloud.

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Procedure

    Migrate an on-premises physical machine to the cloud

    Migrate an on-premises physical machine, such as a server in a self-managed data center, to Alibaba Cloud.

    Select a migration method based on your requirements:

    Custom image

    You can import an image file from your on-premises server to Alibaba Cloud to create a custom image. You can then use this image to create a new ECS instance. The general steps are as follows:

    1. Prepare a compatible image environment.

    For information about the requirements for importing an image to Alibaba Cloud, see Image import requirements.

    • Linux systems

      1. Install cloud-init on your on-premises server. For more information, see Install cloud-init.

        Note

        If the operating system of your custom image is not on the list of platforms supported by Alibaba Cloud and you cannot install cloud-init, you can select Aliyun Customized Linux when you import the custom image. For more information, see Import a customized Linux image.

      2. Install the virtio driver on your on-premises server. For more information, see Install the virtio driver.

      3. Use the image check tool on your on-premises server to verify that the image meets the import requirements and fix any detected issues. For more information, see Check and fix an image.

    • Windows systems

      1. Install Vminit on your on-premises server to ensure that instances created from the image initialize properly. For more information, see Install Vminit.

      2. Install the virtio driver on your on-premises server. For more information, see Install the virtio driver.

    2. Create an image file.

    You can use built-in system tools on your on-premises server or third-party tools to create an image file. Examples include the built-in Backup and Restore feature in Windows or command-line tools in Linux.

    Note

    ECS supports importing image files only in RAW, VHD, QCOW2, and VMDK formats. If your image file is in a different format, you must convert it before importing it. For more information, see Convert image formats.

    3. Import the image file to Alibaba Cloud.

    1. Upload the image file to a bucket in Object Storage Service (OSS).

      1. Create an OSS bucket. For more information, see Create a bucket.

      2. Upload the file to the OSS bucket.

        • If the image file is larger than 5 GB, use multipart upload. For more information, see Multipart upload.

        • If the image file is 5 GB or smaller, you can use simple upload. For more information, see Simple upload.

    2. Import the custom image in the ECS console. For more information, see Import a custom image.

      Note

      If you use a Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating system, you cannot directly purchase an Alibaba Cloud License when you import a custom image. Alibaba Cloud allows you to purchase software licenses, such as for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, for specific ECS instances. This feature is available only to allowlisted accounts. For more information, see Purchase software licenses for an ECS instance.

    4. Use the custom image to create an ECS instance.

    You can use this custom image to create an ECS instance with the same operating system, applications, and data. For more information, see Create an instance from a custom image.

    Note

    You can also use the custom image to replace the operating system (system disk) of an existing ECS instance. For more information, see Change the operating system (system disk).

    SMC

    You can use SMC to migrate workloads from your on-premises physical machines to ECS, which improves migration efficiency.

    For more information, see Migrate a server to an ECS instance.

    Important

    If you are using VMware VMs, you can also use agentless migration. This method allows you to migrate servers without installing an agent on the source operating system or consuming its compute resources. This approach addresses concerns about server security and performance. For more information, see Agentless migration for VMware VMs.

    Migrate an on-premises VM to the cloud

    Migrate an on-premises VM (for example, VMware, VirtualBox, Xen, KVM, or Hyper-V) to Alibaba Cloud.

    Migrate servers from other clouds

    You can migrate cloud servers from other cloud providers to Alibaba Cloud to meet various business requirements and application scenarios.

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Procedure

    Migrate a cloud server from another cloud provider to Alibaba Cloud

    Migrate a cloud server from another cloud provider, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Tencent Cloud, UCloud, China Telecom e-Cloud, or QingCloud, to Alibaba Cloud.

    Select a migration method based on your requirements:

    Custom image

    You can import an image file from a cloud server from another cloud provider to Alibaba Cloud to create a custom image. You can then use this image to create a new ECS instance. The following example shows the general steps to migrate a Linux-based Tencent Cloud server to Alibaba Cloud:

    1. Prepare a compatible image environment.

    For information about the requirements for importing an image to Alibaba Cloud, see Image import requirements.

    1. Install cloud-init on the Tencent Cloud server. For more information, see Install cloud-init.

      Note

      If the operating system of your custom image is not on the list of platforms supported by Alibaba Cloud and you cannot install cloud-init, you can select Aliyun Customized Linux when you import the custom image. For more information, see Import a customized Linux image.

    2. Install the virtio driver on the Tencent Cloud server. For more information, see Install the virtio driver.

    3. Use the image check tool on the Tencent Cloud server to verify that the image meets the import requirements and fix any detected issues. For more information, see Check and fix an image.

    2. Export the image file from Tencent Cloud.

    1. Create an image from the Tencent Cloud server that you want to migrate.

    2. Export the image from Tencent Cloud to an object storage bucket.

      Note

      ECS supports importing image files only in RAW, VHD, QCOW2, and VMDK formats. When you export the image, select a supported format.

    3. Download the image from the bucket to your on-premises environment.

    3. Import the image file to Alibaba Cloud.

    1. Upload the image file to an OSS bucket.

      1. Create an OSS bucket. For more information, see Create a bucket.

      2. Upload the file to the OSS bucket.

        • If the image file is larger than 5 GB, use multipart upload. For more information, see Multipart upload.

        • If the image file is 5 GB or smaller, you can use simple upload. For more information, see Simple upload.

    2. Import the custom image in the ECS console. For more information, see Import a custom image.

      Note

      If you use a Red Hat Enterprise Linux or SUSE Linux Enterprise Server operating system, you cannot directly purchase an Alibaba Cloud License when you import a custom image. Alibaba Cloud allows you to purchase software licenses, such as for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, for specific ECS instances. This feature is available only to allowlisted accounts. For more information, see Purchase software licenses for an ECS instance.

    4. Use the custom image to create an ECS instance.

    You can use this custom image to create an ECS instance with the same operating system, applications, and data. For more information, see Create an instance from a custom image.

    Note

    You can also use the custom image to replace the operating system (system disk) of an existing ECS instance. For more information, see Change the operating system (system disk).

    SMC

    You can import a migration source and create a migration job for it. The migration is complete when the job status changes to Finished. For more information, see Migrate a server to an ECS instance.

    In-cloud migration

    Migrate between ECS instances

    If you need to move an ECS instance to a different account or region due to insufficient regional inventory, cost optimization, disaster recovery, or downsizing instance disks, review the procedures for your specific migration scenario.

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Procedure

    Migrate an ECS instance within the same account and region

    Migrating an ECS instance to another location within the same Alibaba Cloud account and region. The destination ECS instance can be in the same zone as the source instance, or in a different one.

    Note

    In this scenario, the source and destination are two separate instances within the same Alibaba Cloud account.

    Select a migration method based on your requirements:

    ECS replication

    Create a custom image from the source instance, and then use the image to create a new ECS instance. The steps are as follows:

    1. Create a custom image from the source ECS instance. For more information, see Create a custom image from an instance.

    2. Create an ECS instance from the custom image. For more information, see Create an instance from a custom or shared image.

      Note

      If you have already purchased an ECS instance in the destination region, you can also use a custom image to replace its operating system (system disk). For more information, see Change the operating system (system disk).

    SMC

    During the migration, select the same region as the source ECS instance for the destination. For more information, see Migrate ECS instances between accounts or within the same account.

    Migrate an ECS instance across zones within the same account

    • Migrate an ECS instance within the same Alibaba Cloud account and region. The destination ECS instance must be in a different zone from the source ECS instance.

    • You can change the instance type (vCPUs and memory) within the same instance family while migrating across zones.

    Note

    In this scenario, the source and destination are the same instance. A new instance is not created.

    When you migrate the ECS instance, you can select a destination zone preference and a replacement instance type based on your needs. For more information, see Change the instance type across zones.

    Migrate an ECS instance across regions within the same account

    Migrate an ECS instance to a different region within the same Alibaba Cloud account.

    Note

    In this scenario, the source and destination are two separate instances within the same Alibaba Cloud account.

    Select a migration method based on your requirements:

    ECS replication

    After copying an image to another region, you get a new image with a different ID in the destination region. Its configurations, such as tags, resource group, and encryption properties, are based on the parameters you set during the copy operation. You can then use this image to create an ECS instance. The steps are as follows:

    1. Create a custom image from the source ECS instance. For more information, see Create a custom image from an instance.

    2. Copy the custom image to the destination region. For more information, see Copy a custom image.

    3. Create an ECS instance from the copied image. For more information, see Create an instance from a custom or shared image.

      Note

      If you have already purchased an ECS instance in the destination region, you can also use a custom image to replace its operating system (system disk). For more information, see Change the operating system (system disk).

    SMC

    During the migration, select the desired destination region. For more information, see Migrate ECS instances between accounts or within the same account.

    Migrate an ECS instance across accounts within the same region

    Migrate an ECS instance to a different Alibaba Cloud account within the same region.

    Note

    In this scenario, the source and destination are two separate instances under different Alibaba Cloud accounts.

    Select a migration method based on your requirements:

    Image copy and share

    Directly share an image with another Alibaba Cloud account. The recipient can then use the shared image to create an ECS instance. The steps are as follows:

    1. Create a custom image from the source ECS instance. For more information, see Create a custom image from an instance.

    2. Share the custom image with another Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Share a custom image.

    3. Create an ECS instance from the shared image. Create an instance from a custom or shared image.

      Note

      If you have already purchased an ECS instance in the destination region, you can also use a custom image to replace its operating system (system disk). For more information, see Change the operating system (system disk).

    SMC

    When migrating, carefully distinguish between the source and destination Alibaba Cloud accounts to avoid reversing the migration. Select the same region as the source ECS instance for the destination. For more information, see Migrate ECS instances between accounts or within the same account.

    Migrate an ECS instance across accounts and regions

    Migrate an ECS instance to a different Alibaba Cloud account and a different region.

    Note

    In this scenario, the source and destination are two separate instances under different Alibaba Cloud accounts.

    Select a migration method based on your requirements:

    Image copy and share

    Copy an image to a different region, share it with another Alibaba Cloud account, and then the recipient can use the shared image to create an ECS instance. The steps are as follows:

    1. Create a custom image from the source ECS instance. For more information, see Create a custom image from an instance.

    2. Copy the custom image to the destination region. For more information, see Copy a custom image.

    3. Share the copied image with another Alibaba Cloud account. For more information, see Share a custom image.

    4. Create an ECS instance from the shared image. For more information, see Create an instance from a custom or shared image.

      Note

      If you have already purchased an ECS instance in the destination region, you can also use a custom image to replace its operating system (system disk). For more information, see Change the operating system (system disk).

    SMC

    When migrating, carefully distinguish between the source and destination Alibaba Cloud accounts to avoid reversing the migration. Select the desired destination region. For more information, see Migrate ECS instances between accounts or within the same account.

    Other ECS-related migrations

    Operating system migration

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Documentation

    Operating system migration

    If your operating system is no longer supported because it has reached its end-of-life (EOL), third-party support changes, or open source project evolution, you can migrate or upgrade it to continue receiving maintenance and technical support.

    For more information, see Overview of operating system migration.

    Migrate Simple Application Server to ECS

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Documentation

    Migrate data from a Simple Application Server to an ECS instance

    If your current Simple Application Server's network configuration or performance no longer meets your business needs, you can migrate it to an ECS instance for a more flexible resource configuration. The source and destination must be under the same Alibaba Cloud account but can be in the same or different regions.

    For more information, see Migrate data from a Simple Application Server to an ECS instance.

    ECS and DDH migration

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Documentation

    Migrate an ECS instance between dedicated hosts (DDHs)

    As your business evolves, some dedicated hosts may become resource-constrained while others are underutilized. By migrating ECS instances, you can balance resource allocation across different dedicated hosts, improve resource utilization, and ensure stable business operations.

    For more information, see Migrate an ECS instance between DDHs.

    Migrate an ECS instance from a shared host to a DDH

    Based on your business requirements, you can migrate an ECS instance from a shared host to a specific dedicated host. This allows for flexible workload migration and exclusive access to the physical resources of the dedicated host.

    For more information, see Migrate an ECS instance from a shared host to a DDH.

    Migrate an ECS instance from a dedicated host to a shared host

    If your business no longer requires dedicated resources or a higher level of isolation, you can migrate an ECS instance from a DDH to a shared host to reduce deployment costs.

    For more information, see Migrate an ECS instance from a DDH to a shared host.

    Migrate x86 applications to YiTian

    Migration scenario

    Description

    Documentation

    Migrate x86 applications to a YiTian instance

    YiTian instances use chip-level fast-path acceleration to deliver significant improvements in compute, storage, and network performance. They are suitable for scenarios such as cloud-native applications, video encoding and decoding, high-performance computing, CPU-based machine learning, and gaming services.

    If you need to migrate x86 applications to a YiTian instance, see Migrate x86 applications to a YiTian instance.

    Next steps

    • After you migrate the server, check the ICP Filing status. If the business domain name changes, you may need to re-apply for an ICP Filing. For more information, see ICP filing process.

    • After migration, the server's public IP address changes. You need to manage your domain name resolution:

      • If a domain name is bound to the source server, point the domain name to the new public IP address. For more information, see Add a website record.

      • The instance's private IP address changes after migration. If you need to use a specific private IP address, you can reconfigure it after the migration is complete. For more information, see Modify the primary private IP address.

    • This may invalidate application licenses that are tied to hardware. Be sure to verify them after migration.

    Related documentation

    If you only need to migrate a self-managed database, you can use Data Transmission Service (DTS). For more information, see Migrate a self-managed database.